Catherine de Valois
Daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabella of
Bavaria, Catherine was born in a palace in Paris on Oct. 27, 1401. At the age
of nineteen, Catherine was sent to England to marry the future King Henry V
(many years her senior).
The beautiful Catherine would become Queen of England
the year right after (1421). Life was happening
in a flash. Within that same year she
would give birth to a son, Henry. A
great celebration for the new heir…sadly, the year would end in mourning with
the death of King Henry V, her husband.
Catherine was left a widow by the age of twenty-two. And despite all the ‘guarding of the Queen’,
it would be her keeper of her wardrobe that lit up her heart to love once again…Enter
Owen Tudor.
Their relationship lasted until the Queen’s death. Together they had at least five children and
all (lucky for them!) acknowledged by their half brother, King Henry VI. But, alas, one more birth would take the best of poor
Catherine in terms of her health. At the
young age of thirty-six, Catherine died shortly after that childbirth.
Unfortunately, history doesn't have much on what her personality may
have been like, so the best we can assume is that she was at the very
least a good mother and wife. Owen outlived her almost twenty-five
years
until he was executed by the Yorkists.
The result of their relationship however, would create a huge impact on
history. It was their son Edmund and
wife Margaret Beaufort who would produce a new king for England; King Henry VII. And that’s how the Tudors were introduced into
history.
Interesting food for thought: Apparently there never was any
document proving the legal marriage of Catherine and Owen- and there still is that questionable
nature regarding its validity under an English Act. That in itself still has historians debating
and speculating about the whole legitimacy of the Tudor Dynasty.
One can only imagine how different things might have been…
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| From History and Women |
7 comments:
I have read Crown in Candlelight about Catherine but can you recommend anything else? I'd like to read more about her as that one switched POVs between several main characters. :)
Very interesting read. I've always been somewhat fascinated by the Tudors.
Today is my birthday, too :) Cool to know it falls on the same day of the Tudor matriarch.
Another take on the Tudors. This little tidbit of history was not known to me so I am so glad I read this post.
I find the Tudor Dynasty very fascinating. What a shame we don't know more about Catherine de Valois. Just think...if King Henry VI did not acknowledge the half siblings we wouldn't have all the wonderful Tudor books to read! :)
Very interesting!!!
Very interesting. I never knew how the Tudors began.
Hi Robinbird, if you can get a hold of The Queen's Secret by Jean Plaidy- it should be a very good one about her.
Happy Birthday Andrea Kiss (my daughter's bday too!)
Thanks Mystica:))
You are so right Mamabunny!! Can you fathom historical fiction without that unbelievable bunch?!
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